Just Another Day in Paradise
by Zana Zira
Summary: Set 8 months after "25 Days of a SPN Christmas": It's been a long, hot summer in Lebanon, and Dean is stir-crazy. So after a little persuasion from Castiel, they both decide to go on a much-needed island vacation in Oahu. Aloha, Hawaii! Established Destiel and Sabriel. There are 8 chapters planned, one for each day of the 7-day trip plus a bonus Sabriel chapter in the middle.
1. Day 1 - Airplane

**Disclaimer: Supernatural and its characters are the property of Eric Kripke. Sadly, I do not own any of these guys.**

**A/N: This fic is part of the same AU as one of my others, "25 Days of a Supernatural Christmas." If you haven't read it yet, here's what you need to know:**

**Season 9 never happened. After Season 8, although Cas had lost his grace, the angels never fell. Sam also healed on his own after the failed Third Trial, instead of needing Gadreel to possess him. So, Kevin's also still alive. Dean and Castiel are together, as are Sam and Gabriel, and Castiel sometimes calls Dean "_In Monons_," a nickname that, according to a few Enochian dictionaries I've looked up, is pronounced "EH-en MOH-noh-nuhs" and means "My heart."**

**So, all that said, enjoy!**

* * *

_"Flight thirty-six B to Honolulu, you are now clear to begin boarding. Flight thirty-six B to Honolulu, I repeat, you are now clear to begin boarding."_

"Dean, I believe that's our flight," Cas said quietly, trying to keep most of the excitement he felt out of his voice so as not to upset the hunter beside him, who clearly wasn't as enthused. The two of them had left the bunker at just after one o'clock in the morning, arriving at the airport in Tulsa, Oklahoma six hours later so they could catch their nine a.m. plane; and Dean, the mighty hunter who had survived everything from Wendigos to Hell to Purgatory, had been jumpy the entire time.

Castiel couldn't understand why that was, really. From what everyone including Sam and Gabriel had said, the beaches on the Hawaiian Islands were supposed to be some of the most beautiful in the world, especially those located just outside the city of Honolulu, which was where they were supposed to be staying. The only reason Sam and the archangel weren't tagging along, in fact, was that they'd already made plans to visit Hershey, Pennsylvania during the same week. And Kevin had taken a trip to the beach in Florida with Josephine earlier that year, since everyone had chipped in to pay for it at Christmastime. That meant that Dean and Castiel were going to be staying alone, in a very nice beachfront cottage, for almost the entirety of seven days. Surely one ten-hour plane ride was worth it, right?

Dean sighed heavily, standing and staring warily at the gate that would lead them to their plane.

"How in the hell did I let you talk me into this, Cas?" he whispered shakily, hand clenching the handles of his duffel so hard that his knuckles were white. "You know how much I hate planes. The last three times I've flown I nearly died!" He suddenly swallowed, eyes widening and looking even more nervous at that particular revelation. "Oh God, I don't think I can do this…"

"Dean, I promise you we'll be fine," Cas said calmly, taking one of Dean's bags from him and strapping it across his own shoulders so he could clasp the hunter's hand in his. "Hundreds of thousands of people make this trip every year, and they come out completely unharmed. Besides, I've already checked, and there are no signs of demonic activity, terrorism, or any other threats to our safety here now. Everything will be alright."

"Yeah, I guess," Dean muttered, taking a deep breath to try and steady himself as Cas began guiding them through the gate and the collapsible tunnel that led to the door of the jet. "And a beach vacation in Hawaii's worth it, I know. I just…"

"Hate flying. I understand. But I'll be right here with you the entire time, _In Monons_. You have nothing to worry about."

Dean grinned at the pet name Cas had given him eight months ago, raising a suggestive eyebrow at the once-angel. "I guess if you wanna follow me into the bathroom we could join the Mile High Club later."

Castiel just chuckled and shook his head. Only Dean would still find the energy to make jokes like that while he was still practically shaking in his boots.

It took them a few minutes to get to their seats near the back, since they had to wait for many people in front of them to put their carry-ons in the overhead bins and then take their seats. When they finally reached their assigned row Castiel entered first, taking the window seat so that he could partially block Dean's view of the sky outside. He had no issue with seeing the sky, as much time as he had spent in it in his long lifetime, so it wasn't much of a sacrifice.

Dean followed shortly after, sitting stiffly down in his own seat and pushing the armrest up so he could lean against Cas a little. The ex-angel smiled at him and handed him a classic car magazine he'd bought especially for Dean on the trip, and Dean eagerly accepted it, glad for any kind of distraction he could get. The front doors closed while he was reading about 1967 Mustangs and telling Cas all about how inferior they were to the Impala, and Cas smiled when he realized no passengers had arrived to claim the third seat next to him and Dean.

Only a few minutes later, they were forced to sit through the inevitable "What to Do If the Plane's Going to Crash" presentation all flight attendants everywhere were required to give, which did nothing to ease Dean's nerves once they buckled in and started taxiing across the runway.

"See Cas?" he whispered shakily a few minutes later as the plane started tilting upward and lifting off of the tarmac. "They're getting us ready for a freaking plane crash. They know something we don't, I bet." His fingers were now gripping the magazine so hard that the spine was looking ready to bend in half any second.

"Dean, hush," Castiel said firmly, trying to derail that train of thought before it got any worse. He rubbed his palm up and down the hunter's back, trying to instill some of his own calm into him. It pained him to see Dean like this, to witness such a strong man reduced to a jumpy, trembling mess by something as simple as air travel, and he wished there was more he could do to make him feel better. "We. Will. Be. Fine. I'll make sure nothing happens to you the entire time. Just try to relax, and we'll be landing before you know it."

Dean nodded and took a shaky breath, putting in a pair of earbuds and laying his head against Cas's shoulder so he could try to sleep the trip away. Castiel smiled and opened up the thick Hawaiian travel guide he had brought along to read, laying it on his lap and flipping the pages with one hand so he could keep rubbing Dean's back with the other. If Dean could manage to sleep through a few hours of the trip, maybe it would go more smoothly than he had thought.

* * *

It didn't go more smoothly than he had thought.

For the first nine hours of the trip, everything went about as well as could be expected given Dean's nerves. He was restless and fidgety, sleeping fitfully in between multiple trips to the bathroom thanks to all the ginger ale he was constantly sipping on to keep his stomach calm, but other than a constant humming of Metallica when he was awake and being much more clingy with Cas than he usually was, he was doing alright.

At the beginning of the tenth hour, though, things got bad.

Castiel had completely forgotten to mention that he had checked the weather forecast earlier on Dean's phone and seen that the seas around the Hawaiian Islands were experiencing a few minor tropical storms at the moment. That wasn't an issue for him at all, seeing as he'd spent most of his life up close and personal with things in the sky that were much more dangerous than lightning and rain. So in his mind, there was nothing to worry about as the sky outside grew dark and dense, lightning flashing and thunder rumbling as rain and ice plinked and splashed against the windows. They would just pass through the storm, bump around a little, and land. No big deal.

But when the "Fasten Seatbelt" light flashed on and the plane suddenly started to shake a little, the once-angel immediately realized his mistake.

In an instant, Dean went ramrod still in the seat beside him, sitting as rigidly as a statue while his eyes grew so wide it actually looked painful. He started breathing faster and shallower by the second, one hand gripping the armrest with white knuckles while he dug the fingernails of his other hand painfully hard into Castiel's thigh. The plane dipped a little, a few passengers startling awake and gasping in surprise, and all the color drained from Dean's face.

"Cas?" he squeaked, turning terrified eyes toward the blue-eyed man. "What's happening?" The plane shuddered and jolted again and Dean gasped, closing his eyes and almost panting now. "Oh God oh God oh God oh God…"

"Dean, it's only a–"

Cas had been about to say "only a little turbulence" when the plane suddenly shuddered and stalled, beginning to fall straight down through the air with the sickening feeling of careening down a rollercoaster track as it hit an air pocket and dropped. Several passengers screamed, even the most seasoned fliers not being used to things like this happening every day. The feeling was a little unpleasant even for the ex-angel, who had never loved free-falling even when he'd had his own wings. For Dean, it was downright heart-stopping.

Only a moment after they'd begun to fall, Cas felt Dean wrap his arms around him, pressing his face into the older man's chest and whimpering as helplessly as a child while he sought comfort in the only way he had left. Castiel just hugged him back, waiting until the descent abruptly stopped and the plane leveled out again, just as he had known it would. Once it had, he pulled Dean in closer, stroking his hair and trying to calm him down as much as he could, thanking his Father in Heaven that they only had half an hour of this left.

"Ca… Cas…" Dean gulped out between heaving breaths, eyes wet as the sheer terror his fear of flying stirred up in him threatened to reduce him to tears.

"Shh… It's alright now, _In Monons_," he whispered softly, laying his chin on Dean's head and pulling him as close into his chest as he could while they still had their seatbelts on. It felt a bit strange to be the one protecting Dean again – he had been the one needing guidance and protection ever since he'd lost his grace, seeing as he was the less experienced of the two at being human – but he slipped back into that old role easily. "It's over now. We've passed through most of the storm. It may still be a little bumpy, but the worst is over, I promise. Just breathe, you're alright."

It took a few minutes, but Dean's breathing finally did start to even out again, though he stayed firmly attached to Cas's chest even when the seatbelt sign had turned off again. He remained stuck on the ex-angel's side like a barnacle even after they'd landed, and Castiel accepted the new human-sized limb he seemed to have grown with only a small sigh.

* * *

It turned out to be lucky they'd planned ahead and called a taxi to take them to their cabin on the beach, because after his near heart-attack on the plane Dean was in no shape to drive with any sense of direction and Castiel was a horrible navigator. The drive there was short, and when they pulled up into the drive at two o'clock (seven p.m. back at the bunker) even Dean smiled at the sight.

The little house was painted a light brown with white trim around the doors and windows. It was set on a raised foundation, and there was a tiny porch with two wicker chairs and a small table sitting on it outside the front window. The green tin roof was gently sloped, creating a nice overhang to protect against the sun and rain while still giving a breathtaking view of the beach just feet away from the driveway, and there were small palm trees and hibiscus bushes lining the front of the cottage with vibrant splashes of color. It was exactly the kind of view they had been hoping for when they'd decided to rent this out-of-the-way place. And even better, there were no docks or other cabins around for miles, meaning they had a fairly large strip of beach all to themselves.

They quickly tipped the driver and made their way up the front steps, each carrying a duffel bag and Cas an additional backpack, and stepped inside to explore their new home for the week. It was very clean and airy inside, with more wicker furniture and lots of beach-themed artwork, especially pictures of the ocean and sailboats. There was a small kitchen attached to the living room, a surprisingly large bathroom with a deep tub and a shower, and a good-sized bedroom with a California king-sized bed and a sliding glass door at the foot of the bed that could be opened up to walk straight out to the beach or curtained off for privacy. It was very simple, but beautiful nonetheless.

"Well, Cas, what do you think?" Dean asked tentatively, noticeably calmer now that he'd had his feet back on solid ground for a while as he waited for the other man's reaction.

"It's wonderful, Dean. I love it already," he answered with a small yawn, now eyeing the enormous, fluffy bed eagerly. Seeing as they'd been up for sixteen hours already today, it was more than tempting. Dean smiled and hugged him from behind, arms wrapped lazily around the dark-haired man's waist as he kissed him on the cheek.

"I'm glad. Sorry I acted like such a baby earlier."

Castiel shook his head. "You have nothing to apologize for. Fear isn't something you can control."

"I know, but still…" He stopped mid-sentence, surprised as a yawn caught him off guard. "Hey, uh, what do you say we just hang out here and rest today? I hate to say it, but I could really use a nap before dinner. Lunch? Whatever the hell time it is now. And then we can explore a little tomorrow."

Cas just smiled, flopping face-first onto the pillow nearest to the window with Dean joining him only seconds later.

"I'd love that."


	2. Day 2 - The Beach

**Disclaimer: Supernatural and its characters are the property of Eric Kripke. Sadly, I do not own any of these guys.**

**A/N: Sorry it's taking so long between updates, guys! I've had some horrible writer's block (or rather, a lot of writer's-self-doubt) lately, which is making it hard for me to get these things up to par very quickly.**

**Also, just so you know, I've decided to keep writing prompt fills and one-shots while I'm working on this one, just so I don't burn myself out with it. So if you see me publishing other things when this isn't finished yet, no worries! Your regularly-scheduled Destiel will not be cancelled. ;)**

* * *

When Castiel awoke the next morning, the sun had already risen high in the sky. A beam of light peeked between the closed curtains at the foot of the bed, drawing a line through the middle of the mattress, and the ex-angel yawned and stretched, licking his dry lips and turning over to embrace the hunter beside him. But surprisingly, his hands encountered only empty space when he reached to wrap them around Dean.

Sitting up now, eyes fully open, Cas scanned the room for his hunter, wondering where he had disappeared to.

It was very unusual for Dean to leave the bed before Castiel these days. Even though he almost always woke up first, he stayed right by the other man's side, holding him close and guarding him from nightmares until he chose to wake up too. Granted, it wasn't a rule written in stone, and there were times Castiel woke to find Dean somewhere else, like the bathroom adjoining their room in the bunker or talking to Sam or Kevin out in the hall. But still, it was strange when one considered that there was no one else here but the two of them.

Puzzled, he hurriedly clambered out of bed, shuddering when his bare feet touched the cold hardwood floor, and searched his suitcase for his robe. If Dean was outside somewhere, he wasn't about to go searching for him in only his boxers.

Just as he was tying the belt around his waist, he stopped and sniffed the air, his nose detecting a wonderful scent drifting in through the door from the living room. It smelled sweet and warm, like flour and fruit, and it made his stomach growl fiercely even though he hadn't thought he was hungry until just now. Curious, he opened the door and peered out, smiling at the sight that greeted him.

"There you are, Cas!" Dean said cheerfully from behind the granite counter, flipping a large pancake into the air before catching it again in the frying pan he was holding. "I thought you were never gonna wake up."

He gestured to a few plates around him, piled with eggs, bacon, and pancakes, and the freshly sliced pineapple sitting in a large bowl beside them. Apparently he'd had time to go to the grocery store while Castiel had been sleeping too, because the ex-angel didn't remember seeing any of these things in the refrigerator the day before. "You hungry?"

Castiel just nodded and smiled, padding over on bare feet and kissing Dean on the cheek, waiting as he plated the last pancake before helping him carry the dishes to the breakfast table.

Despite what he might otherwise claim, Dean had become quite domestic since moving into the bunker, and he now seemed to enjoy buying and cooking his own food much more than eating out. Castiel wasn't about to complain, though; Dean's food was delicious, and he was constantly experimenting with new recipes that he wanted Cas to try. Today's experiment appeared to be pineapple pancakes, with tiny chunks of the fruit mixed into the batter as well as decorating the tops of the fluffy discs.

Once they'd sat down and filled their plates, both dug in hungrily, not bothering with conversation at first in favor of enjoying the wonderful flavors of the food. Castiel closed his eyes and moaned softly at the first tart-sweet bite of pancake, and Dean chuckled, stabbing a chunk of butter with a knife so he could spread it over his own pancakes.

"So I take it they're good?" he asked through a mouthful of bacon.

"Wonderful." Cas sighed with pleasure and took another enormous bite, having to make quite an effort to fit it all into his mouth without making a mess of his face.

"Jeez, easy," Dean laughed as he watched. "There're plenty more, Cas. Don't choke."

"Mmm wwmm't," Cas mumbled, taking a little longer than normal to chew and swallow so Dean wouldn't worry. "They're just so delicious."

Dean grinned and leaned forward, peering at the ex-angel's lips. "You've got a little something on your face."

"I do? Where?"

The hunter just leaned in closer, until he was almost nose-to-nose with the other man, and then flicked his tongue out and licked a tiny bead of syrup off the corner of his mouth. "Right here." He smiled and pressed his lips against Castiel's, letting him taste the sweetness of the syrup as well, and Cas felt him smiling as he did so.

"So what do you want to do for the rest of the day?" Cas asked after they had both pulled apart for air (and more pancakes).

"Well, I picked up some stuff for us to go to the beach, since you said yesterday that you wanted to go check it out. You still think you wanna do that?"

Castiel's eyes lit up with excitement just like a child's, and suddenly the food on his plate wasn't as interesting anymore. That was understandable though, because beach! Hawaii! Bright sun and white sand! With _Dean!_ He was up and out of his chair in an instant, heading to the bathroom to get changed into the bathing suit – blue and covered in angel wings, of course – that Dean had bought for him a month before.

The hunter chuckled and started picking up their dishes, glad to have gotten the reaction out of Cas that he'd been hoping for. If the usually stoic Castiel's excitement was anything to go by, he had a feeling this was going to be a lot of fun. Grinning to himself, he went off in search of his own swim trunks, hoping he could get them on before Cas dragged him outside by force.

* * *

The sun was blistering hot and the sand even hotter as the two of them walked down the path from their room to the shore, but Castiel didn't seem to notice. Dean trailed behind the ex-angel and watched with a contented smile on his face as Cas stared in wonder at all the flowers and palm trees decorating the path, the tiny crabs and shells lying in the sand. He stopped every so often to point something out to Dean, beaming in a way the hunter had rarely gotten to see from him, and it made his heart swell with happiness. If being out here in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by nothing but sea and sun and all his Father's creatures, was what made Cas truly happy, Dean would be more than willing to just stay here and never leave.

The two men reached the edge of the water in only a few minutes, and Cas closed his eyes and tilted his head back, reveling in the sensations of the warm sun on his face, the salty breeze tossing his hair, and the cool water misting his body as the waves crashed against the ground in front of him. These were things he had always known about, but never truly experienced when he had been an angel. When one could travel faster than the speed of light the way an angel could, it tended to make them forget to stop and enjoy the view.

Suddenly, before he even had time to react, Cas felt Dean scooping him up from behind, carrying him in his arms like a baby as he jogged toward a rocky ledge at the edge of the water.

"Dean? What are you doing?" he cried, struggling weakly as his instincts screamed at him to get away from the water. "Put me down!"

Dean just laughed and held on tighter, not permitting Castiel to succeed in climbing onto his head the way Bells did on bath day, and made his way to the edge of the rock, arms tensing as he adjusted his grip on the other man.

"You ready to take a dip, Cas?" he asked with a grin, and Castiel started wriggling harder. Briefly, Dean wondered why he was freaking out so much. It was only a little water. Not like he had any feathers to get soaked anymore. Giving a mental shrug, he hoisted Cas up, drawing back and preparing to pitch him in, just like he used to do to Sammy all the time when they were younger.

"Dean, nonono," Cas begged, voice getting higher and higher by the second as he fought to free himself from the hunter's hold. "Dean please don't do thiIIIIIIIIISSS!"

Too late. With a resounding splash, he hit the water, all the air in his lungs rushing out in a cloud of bubbles as he landed on his back and flipped over and over under the waves. He could see Dean above him, still laughing, not realizing how truly afraid he was and obviously just waiting for him to come back up.

And then he started to sink, never having learned to swim and not sure how to propel himself back toward the surface. His heartbeat roared in his ears, arms clawing through the water as if he could will it to solidify and hoist himself to the top, but it just wasn't working. He was dropping down through the blue water like a stone, no matter how hard he tried to fight it.

Finally, lungs burning mercilessly and completely exhausted without the much-needed oxygen, he let his body go slack, praying that his Father would at least let him die quickly if this was how he was going to meet his end, and took a breath inside the liquid prison. His body immediately rejected the sensation of inhaling underwater, making him cough and gag in an attempt to rid his lungs of the offending liquid but only drawing in more, and he finally felt his vision growing blessedly dark.

Barely a second later a pair of arms wrapped around his waist, and then Dean was right behind him, holding him tight and pulling both of them toward the air and sun that only seconds ago Castiel had been sure he would never see again.

After a few seconds that seemed to last hours, they broke out from beneath the waves, allowing him to finally,_ finally_ take a large, gulping breath of air. He immediately broke into a fit of coughing, spitting up the water he had swallowed while Dean clutched him tight and patted his back, trying to help him catch his breath while he pulled them both across the short distance to the shore and out onto the sand.

"Oh my God, Cas, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," he said frantically once he'd gotten them both out of the water. He hugged Castiel to him, kissing the crown of his head and rubbing his back as he continued to cough weakly. "I had no idea you couldn't swim, or I never would've – oh God, I'm sorry!"

Castiel took a deep breath and shook his head, trying to get that annoying buzzing in his ears to stop and relieved when he didn't immediately start coughing again, and took Dean's face between both of his hands.

"It's alright, _In Monons_," he rasped, smiling tiredly when he saw how shiny and wet Dean's eyes looked. "Like you said, you didn't know. And besides, you saved me. I'm alright now, it's alright."

Dean just gave a half-hysterical laugh and kissed him again, and Cas let him, melting into the embrace with a sigh as his heart finally started to slow back down to a normal rate.

"So I hope I haven't completely ruined your opinion of the beach," Dean muttered guiltily once the two of them had finally stood up and started making their way back toward the towels they had laid out in the sand.

"No, not at all," Cas answered with a tiny smile. "But… Maybe we could just stay here on the sand for the rest of the afternoon… completely out of the water?"

Dean chuckled and lay down on his towel, leaning against Cas and listening to his reassuringly strong heartbeat as he wrapped his arm around Dean's back and held him close to his chest.

"Sounds like a plan to me."


	3. Day 3 - Fishing

**Disclaimer: Supernatural and its characters are the property of Eric Kripke. Sadly, I do not own any of these guys.**

* * *

"This is a very strange sensation, Dean." Castiel unconsciously tipped his head to one side as their small rental boat bobbed over yet another wave, holding tightly to the metal rail that lined the side. "I feel like I'm airborne even though I'm standing up." Another wave crashed against the side of the vessel and Castiel gasped quietly, nearly falling forward and having to step back until he was almost leaning against Dean to regain his balance.

"Don't worry, you'll get used to it," Dean said calmly. He patted Castiel's shoulder with one hand and steered the boat with the other, effortlessly taking them farther and farther from the docks and watching the water grow a deeper azure blue with every passing second. It reminded him a lot of Cas's eye color, actually. "Just relax and enjoy the sights. It'll be a while before we get to the spot the guide told us about."

Castiel nodded and sat down on one of the worn leather bench seats, one leg tucked under him so he could comfortably look out over the water while the other sat flat-footed on the floor to help him feel balanced. He seemed to be looking forward to this fishing trip as much as Dean was, which made the hunter happy. He hadn't been sure how the ex-angel would feel about catching his Father's sea-dwelling creatures for sport, but Cas had said that as long as they didn't kill or keep what they didn't plan to eat, he saw no issue with it.

Dean smiled as the ex-angel's already perpetually messy hair blew straight back in the wind, giving him a bizarre combed-over look that likely wouldn't change until the next time he showered. He also had red, slightly sunburned skin over most of his body – as did Dean, thanks to Cas's near-drowning the day before making them forget their sunscreen.

The hunter was red as a lobster from head to toe; unfortunately, even years of hunting couldn't erase the sun-sensitivity of a light complexion. Cas was just a light peach color, with a stark white handprint on his left shoulder where Dean had fallen asleep holding him. To say Dean was jealous was a major understatement. His skin hurt like hell today – and he'd been there, so he would know – and Castiel was just a little pink? Not. Fair.

The brunet in question had spent the first part of the morning poking at the strange redness on his skin, having noticed it when he went to shower after waking. He only stopped prodding at it when he hit a particularly painful red spot on his chest, asking Dean what they had done to make the sun so angry with them. The hunter had just laughed and continued packing for their outing, making sure he and Cas both put on sunscreen before they left so they wouldn't "anger the sun" again.

Dean was startled out of his reverie when a hand suddenly tapped his shoulder, and he spun around to see Castiel standing just behind him, smiling slightly as if he knew something Dean didn't.

"What?" Dean asked, grinning himself at whatever had the angel so amused.

Castiel just leaned forward and grabbed his lover's right hand, placing it over the white handprint on his left shoulder while he placed his own hand on Dean's. Then, with a small kiss to the hunter's fingers, he chuckled and said, "Now we match."

Dean smiled and wound their fingers together, and they stayed that way until the hunter determined they had gotten close enough to the place that the man who had rented them this boat told them the best fishing could be found. He let the boat slow and then shut the engine off, releasing Cas's hand so he could get the anchor lowered into the water. The last thing they needed was to drift off and get lost in an already unfamiliar area. As it was, Dean could still see land from where they sat, but only just.

Once the boat was as secure as it could be, Dean opened up the tackle box while Cas fetched their fishing rods. They had been told there were plenty of edible fish to be found in this location, as long as one had a sturdy rod and some good bait. So Dean had picked up two rods capable of holding a hundred pounds of weight each, as well as some bait made from the offal of old fish. Hopefully that would be enough to score them some fresh seafood for dinner.

"You ready, Cas?" he asked, and the ex-angel nodded, holding the bucket of chum at the ready. When Dean nodded his approval, Cas tipped a little bit of the fish bits into the water on both the port and starboard side of the boat. Then the two of them sat down back-to-back, watching the bits of bait sink down into the water and waiting for a bite while their lures bobbed lazily up and down.

There was no telling how long they sat there in silence, enjoying the feel of the sun and the salty spray on their faces, the gentle breeze that dulled the heat as it blew over them and carried the offensive scent of old fish far away. There had been a couple of tugs on the lines so far, but nothing hard enough to reel in. Whatever was out there must have eaten a late breakfast, because nothing seemed too interested in lunch at the moment. Neither of them was in a hurry; it had been a long time since they'd had time to sit and simply enjoy nature like this, except perhaps in Dean's dreams so many years ago.

After another few minutes passed, though, Castiel suddenly sat up straight in his seat, looking excitedly out at the bobber that had just been pulled sharply beneath the water.

"Dean! I think I have something," he said happily, already starting to reel it in while Dean set his rod down and came over to join him.

"Awesome! You got this, Cas," Dean encouraged when something started splashing close to the surface. "Just a little more!"

Castiel nodded and continued to reel the fish in, then tugged up sharply, lifting it out of the water and onto the boat in one swift motion. When Dean realized what it was, he smiled and picked it up, taking the hook out of its mouth and holding the wriggling thing, which was bigger than his head, out for Cas to see.

"Well, looks like you caught us dinner," Dean said happily.

"This is edible?" Cas had no idea what made one fish any more edible than another, but apparently Dean did.

"Yeah. This is a Red Snapper," he said, which Cas concluded must be because of its ruby-red color. "It's actually really expensive to buy from a fish market, but there's tons of meat on it and it tastes awesome. We can grill this up when we get back to shore. Great job, man."

Cas beamed at the praise, and was about to comment on how beautiful the red fish was when he realized Dean's rod was being pulled toward the edge of the boat.

"Ah! Dean!" he said, hurriedly reaching out and grabbing the pole. He noticed immediately that this fish was a lot stronger than the last one, so much so that he was afraid he wouldn't be able to keep a grip on it. He grunted and pulled back, trying to keep his balance, and sighed in relief when Dean joined him and started helping him reel the animal in.

It took several minutes of straining and sweat, since this fish was obviously a fighter, but finally the two of them managed to yank it out of the water. It landed with a wet flop in the middle of the deck, and Dean just stared at it for a moment, eyes growing wider all the time, and then jerked back as if he'd been stung, pulling on the line so that the creature hung a few feet in the air by its lip.

"Holy shit, Cas!" he shouted, staring at the long gray fish with short angular fins, beady eyes, and sharp teeth. "That's a damn shark!"

It wasn't a large shark by any means – only about two or three feet from nose to tail – but still, it was more than a little unnerving to realize that if they were able to catch one shark this easily out here, there were probably lots more of them in bigger sizes farther down.

Dean swallowed and shuddered, staring at the little gray shark as it flopped helplessly on the end of the line. There went his plans to go swimming out here today. It was strange, really, when he thought about how freaked out he was by a fish. He hunted the supernatural every day, and yet something that could be cooked on a grill was frightening to him? Some things just didn't make sense.

Castiel, noticing how Dean seemed to have no interest in touching the shark, took pity on the poor creature, carefully stepping forward and grabbing around the middle of its body so he could steer far clear of its sharp rows of teeth. Then with a small smile, he removed the hook from the side of its lip and whispered, "Forgive me, my friend. We didn't mean to disturb your meal," before tossing the shark back over the edge of the boat. It landed with a loud splash and quickly disappeared, likely getting as far away from the two humans as it possibly could.

Cas was just about to turn around and go sit beside Dean, who was busy re-stringing the line onto the fishing pole after the shark strained it, when he suddenly felt his foot hit a slick spot and fly out from under him. Before he could even make a sound of surprise, he was falling backwards over the side, landing in the water with a splash that put the shark's to shame. Thanks to his lifejacket though, he didn't sink, and he came back to the surface with an indignant splutter as he shook the cold water out of his hair.

Above him, Dean was cracking up, having gotten over the initial panic of seeing Castiel fall overboard once he realized he was safe. The hunter held his sides, tears streaming from his eyes, and cackled as he peered down at the drenched man glaring up at him from the water below.

"You know Cas, if you wanted some water you could have just raided the cooler," he said with a grin. "Or did you decide you want to play with that baby shark some more?"

Castiel just glared and spat a mouthful of water at Dean like an archerfish, missing his face by several inches and hitting the side of the boat instead. Dean was laughing so hard now that he'd actually had to sit down or else fall over; sometimes his angel was adorable, especially when he looked like a pissed-off wet cat.

"Dean, could you just help me up please?" Cas asked tiredly, shaking some more water from his hair and giving the hunter his best puppy eyes. He really wasn't a fan of the water after what had happened yesterday, and lifejacket or not he was ready to be back on solid ground.

"Yeah, hahah, I-I'll – ahahahaaa!"

Castiel sighed, resigned to the fact that Dean was going to be useless until he got control of his giggles, and decided to sit there and wait patiently.

At least until he felt a long fin brush against the side of his leg.

A shudder quickly worked up from his head to his toes as he saw a large gray shape swimming in circles around him, the triangular dorsal fin sitting just barely beneath the surface as the creature looped around and around him. His heart jumped somewhere up into the vicinity of his throat, images of that "Jaws" movie Dean had made him watch reminding him of exactly what sort of creatures lurked in waters this deep and dark.

"Dean," he hissed, starting to tremble as the creature's fin brushed his leg again. "Dean, _please!_"

His tone finally seemed to get the hunter's attention, and Dean peered out over the side to see what had Cas so afraid. When he did, his eyes grew as big as dinner plates, and he held out a hand as far as he could.

"Okay Cas, stay calm," he whispered, his own voice betraying the complete lack of calm he felt. "Slowly make your way over here, and I'll pull you out. Just don't thrash around."

"Dean, I can't swim. All I know how to do is thrash around!"

"Okay, it's okay. Just come on."

Castiel swallowed and tried to paddle over to Dean as gracefully as he could – which wasn't gracefully at all – hoping whatever kind of shark was swimming around him now would realize he wasn't snack-sized before it tried to take a bite of him. It seemed to take an eternity, but finally he made it over to Dean, heart hammering in his chest, and felt the hunter grab his hand and haul him out of the water as if he weighed nothing.

He grabbed onto Dean and took a few deep breaths, trying to collect himself and succeeding for the most part. Once he'd managed to get his breathing back to normal, he peered over the side at the creature that had come close enough to brush against him.

To both of their surprise, it suddenly leapt out of the water, squealing happily and flipping end over end before splashing back under the surface. It wasn't a shark at all; it was a dolphin! Castiel watched in amazement as the joyful-looking creature jumped and twirled in and out of the water, seeming to almost laugh at him for ever being so afraid. And he was laughing too, because never in a million years had he imagined he would find himself in the middle of the ocean playing with a dolphin.

"I think I'm glad I fell overboard now," he muttered, leaning against Dean as the hunter continued to watch the little dolphin in awe.

"Honestly," Dean said, turning around and kissing the crown of Castiel's head. "So am I."

The two of them started heading back to shore almost immediately after the dolphin disappeared beneath the surface again. Once they docked, it wasn't long before Dean was in the small kitchen of their beach house, cooking the fish to perfection with the bones and skin still intact before getting it cleaned up and ready to eat. The white flesh was delicious, better than any freshwater fish Cas had ever eaten, and there was more than enough to save for dinner tomorrow.

By the time the moon had risen high in the sky, both the hunter and the ex-angel were sound asleep in bed, bellies stuffed painfully full of delicious fish and dreaming about riding on the backs of dolphins through the deep Hawaiian seas. It was the most peaceful sleep either of them had had in a long time.


	4. Day 3 and a Half - Phonecall

**Disclaimer: Supernatural and its characters are the property of Eric Kripke. Sadly, I do not own any of these guys.**

**A/N: So for some reason, this plotbunny demanded I add just a little bit of Sabriel to this story. Can't have the Winchesters without both brothers, after all! Oh, and there's some sick!Sam too. Because I felt like it. ;)**

**Anyway, because of this little bonus chapter, the story will now be eight chapters instead of seven. So no worries, you'll still get all seven days of Hawaiian vacationing Destiel.**

* * *

It didn't feel like Dean had been asleep very long at all when he was awakened by the startlingly loud buzzing of his phone from the nightstand. And that sucked, because this bed was extremely comfortable. The mattress was so soft it was like lying on a cloud, and the room was cool enough that it was comfortable to pull Castiel's warm body flush against his side underneath all of the blankets, but not too cold to get back out from under them in the morning. It was almost as nice as his memory foam mattress back at the bunker. Almost.

Resigned to the fact that he was now awake whether he liked it or not, he flopped over onto his back so he could see the general area where he last remembered leaving his phone. The change in position caused Castiel to roll out of his grip and toward the other side of the bed, but he remained totally oblivious, just snuffling deep into the other pillow and snoring softly as he continued dreaming about dolphins protecting him from rampaging sharks.

Dean sat up and blinked blearily, eyes still not completely adjusted to the darkness, and then snatched up the accursed thing from the table, almost dropping it on the floor before he could get a good look at the screen: one missed call from Sam. He peered over his shoulder at the clock on Castiel's side of the bed, noticing it was only one a.m. Hawaii time – seven in the morning in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

"What the hell? Why's he callin' this early?"

"Dean? Is something wrong?" Cas mumbled with his back to the hunter, obviously still half asleep since his eyes weren't even open.

"Dunno. I'll find out. Go back to sleep."

"Mmmhmm."

Dean hurriedly stepped out of the room and closed the door right as the phone started buzzing a second time, hitting the green "Accept Call" button before it could stop again.

"Sammy? Whas'a'matter?" he mumbled into the mouthpiece – or at least where he hoped the mouthpiece was; who the hell knew for sure at this hour?

"_Sam can't come to the phone right now,_" Gabriel answered instead.

"Gabriel? What's wrong?" Dean asked, instantly awake now that his big brother senses were putting out a red alert. "Why can't Sam talk to me?" He'd honestly been planning to call the two of them later that day anyway, just to see how their trip was going. But if Gabriel was calling when both he and Sam were well aware that they were six hours ahead of Honolulu, something had to be seriously wrong.

"_Actually, that's kinda what I was calling about. Sam's, uh, kinda busy with a little –_"

"_Guuuh-Ehaaack! Huhhh-urk!_ _Mnnhh…_ _Urgh, God_…"

Dean heard Gabriel chuckle on the other end. "_Morning sickness_."

"_Screw… you… Gabe_," Sam snarled from what must have been the bathroom.

"_What?_" Gabriel asked, his response clearly meant for Sam. "_It's morning, and you're sick. What part of that is inaccurate?_"

"A-HEM!" Dean said loudly when it was clear Sam was once again too busy retching to come up with a good response. "You mind telling me _why_ my brother's puking like a pregnant chick? Isn't the idea to, you know, _not_ let him catch something when you're on vacation?"

"_Yeah, funny story…_"

"Do tell."

"_Right, so, Sam and I bought this huge five-pound chocolate bar yesterday…_"

"Uh-huh," Dean said, waiting for the part where this got bad.

"_And I challenged him to see which of us could eat the biggest part of it in one go. We both started at opposite ends, and whoever ate past the middle of the bar first won. The crazy thing is, Sam actually did it! He can eat chocolate even faster than a Trickster! Can you believe it? But now he's paying for it pretty good, as you can hear._"

"Aww, Sammy…" Dean muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose and shaking his head. "Can't hold your liquor or your chocolate, huh?" He sighed, taking pity on his little brother who, from years of experience, Dean knew would be sick like this for the rest of the day. For being a giant of a man, Sam's body was a lot more delicate on the inside than it would seem.

"_I called 'cause I don't know what to do here, Deano,_" Gabriel said softly when Sam gagged and moaned pitifully in the background. "_He's really not feeling good, but I can't heal this with my grace since it isn't caused by a virus. I've tried having him drink water, that Pepto stuff – I even went out and bought some Dramamine. Everything I've tried giving him just comes back up five minutes later._"

"Ginger ale," Dean immediately answered. "That's all that helps when he's nauseous. Let him sip on that once he stops hurling for a minute and just let it run its course. Any other drinks or meds will only make it worse. Once he manages to keep that down for at least an hour make him eat a few saltines. He should be back to normal by tomorrow, once all the junk works out of his system."

"_Wow,_" Gabriel said slowly. "_Sounds like you've been through this a time or two._"

"We've lived in the same room with each other for most of the last three decades, Gabe."

"_Ah. Right._"

"Yeah. So just do what I told you, and he should be fine. Make sure to hold his hair or tie it back or something too, if you haven't already. Trust me, once he gets too tired to do it himself anymore, you won't wanna see what happens."

"_Gotcha._" Gabriel's relieved smile could be heard even through the phone. "_Thanks, Dean._"

"Any time. Let me know if it keeps getting worse, otherwise I'll call in a few hours to check in. And Gabe?"

"_Yeah?_"

"Don't feed the oversized puppy dog any more chocolate for a couple of days, okay? I think he's had enough."

"_Agreed._"

The phone beeped to show the call had ended, and Dean sighed wearily before opening the door and making his way back into bed. Castiel stirred when he wrapped his arms around him, nuzzling into the hunter's neck with a tiny snuffling sound that was way too adorable for someone who used to be a mighty demon-smiting Angel of the Lord. He was almost asleep again when Castiel's gravelly voice woke him again.

"Was that Sam?"

"Nuh-uh, was Gabe," Dean mumbled, somewhere between the realms of reality and ocean dreams. "Sam's feelin' bad… mornin' sickness… Asked me f'r help…"

Castiel tilted his head, blinking slowly as he tried to make sense of that particular statement. New to humanity or not, he was fairly certain that that particular ailment was _not_ supposed to plague human males. Ever. No matter how many times he ran it through his head, though, all he could seem to come up with was "DOES NOT COMPUTE."

"Dean? Could you say that again? I think I misunderstood."

But when the hunter failed to answer for several seconds, Cas realized he had already gone back to sleep, phone still clenched in his fist as if he expected to get another SOS call any second. Smiling down at his lover, Castiel pried the phone from his grip and laid it gently on the nightstand, kissing the crown of Dean's head before settling back under the covers himself.

"Never mind. I'll ask in the morning."


	5. Day 4 - Exploring

**Disclaimer: Supernatural and its characters are the property of Eric Kripke. Sadly, I do not own any of these guys.**

**A/N: Hi, everyone! Bet you thought you'd never see this fic updated again, huh? Well finally, after almost nine months on hiatus, I will be finishing up this little Destiel vacation fic!**

**I will be updating this story at least once per week for the next three weeks so I can get Chapters 5-8 published, and in the meantime I will also be making progress in writing a very special Destiel fic, which is part of a genre I have never done before and will have its first chapter released on July 2nd. (More information about this special fic can be found on my profile page under the "Important Announcements" section, and new hints about what it could be will be added every other week until the publication date.)**

**Anyway, I hope this new chapter will be worth the wait. I promise the next three won't take nearly as long to come out!**

* * *

The next afternoon found Dean and Castiel trekking through the thick forest that grew around their cabin, admiring the sights and flipping through a pocket-sized travel guide Cas had bought at the airport so they could identify the various species of plants and animals that lived on the island of Oahu.

The ex-angel had been reluctant to leave earlier that morning, worried that Sam had somehow managed to wind up in a "delicate condition" and might need them to return home early to be with him. Dean burst out laughing at that, almost spitting out his coffee before managing to swallow it, and it took several minutes before he could do anything but cackle with mirth. Once got himself under control, he carefully explained that, even though he always teased Sam about being a huge girl, the younger Winchester was not actually capable of bearing any children (or at least Dean was pretty damn sure he couldn't), and that the only thing wrong with him right now was a little chocolate-induced bellyache. Castiel blushed red as a tomato once he realized his mistake, and it had taken all of the hunter's willpower to hold back his laughter and spare the poor guy any more embarrassment.

Now it was just past one o'clock, and the sun combined with the high humidity in the air made it feel like walking through a sauna, but Cas seemed so genuinely pleased to be out here that Dean couldn't find it in himself to care. It did make him glad, though, that he had thought far enough ahead to pack some long pants and close-toed shoes for both of them, rather than just a few pairs of shorts, swim trunks, and flip-flops. The last thing they needed was to cut up their legs walking through the dense underbrush, or to get a bite from one of the island's infamous scorpions or centipedes. Something like that would definitely take a little of the fun away from the wonderful time they were having so far.

Every few moments the ex-angel would stop them, carefully flipping through his little book and then pointing out a seemingly unassuming plant that could actually be used for medicine or an exotic flower with a wonderful smell. Once, he halted to pick up a small turtle that had wandered across their path, placing it into the brush on the side of the path it was headed toward so that it would be safely out of the way of any passing hikers' boots. Sometimes he just paused and closed his eyes, listening to the calls of the 'elepaio and the cuckoos as they sang to each other from the treetops, and at those moments Dean could swear the ex-angel almost understood what they were saying. It reminded him of exactly how in tune with his Father's works Castiel really used to be, and of exactly how lucky Dean and Sam were to have creatures as ancient and mysterious as angels allow themselves to feel love and devotion only for them.

The two men continued through the foliage for another half-hour in near-silence, Dean snapping pictures of everything Castiel pointed out to him so that they would have something to remember the trip by (and for Sam to geek out over when they made it home). Interestingly, as they walked the plants seemed to begin growing in thinner and thinner patches, the variety diminishing until they were mostly passing the occasional withered tree and a multitude of short, scraggly bushes with pale green leaves and reddish berries. The ground beneath their feet was also getting darker, changing from a pale, sandy white color to a dark red-brown and finally to an almost black soil full of small, rough rocks.

After a while the temperature began to get more intense as well, since there were no trees to shade them and the blackened soil and glassy coal-colored rocks underfoot reflected the sunlight upward so that the heat assaulted them from above and below. Within minutes Dean was drenched in sweat, certain that he could feel his skin growing redder by the minute even beneath his sunscreen. When he looked over at Castiel the brunet didn't seem to be faring much better, cheeks beet-red and clothes sticking to him like they'd been covered in shrink-wrap.

"Hey, Cas, maybe we should turn back," he suggested when he saw the other man wipe the sweat from his brow and give a couple of short huffs of air to try and purge his lungs of the suffocating heat. "We didn't bring that much water with us, and if we stay out in the sun like this too much longer we'll start getting dehydrated."

The ex-angel nodded in agreement, making his way back over toward the hunter, but then something on the ground seemed to catch his attention and he stopped, staring so intently at whatever it was that he seemed to forget Dean was there for a moment. Dean stepped up to his side, curious about whatever it was that could have gotten Cas so intensely fixated on it, and was utterly confused when all he saw were some pale strands of what looked like golden spider-webs interwoven between the small black rocks beneath their feet.

"Cas? What's the matter? It's just some cobwebs. Wouldn't surprise me if spiders are the only things that can survive up here."

"They aren't webs, Dean," Castiel said slowly, finally turning his attention back to the hunter. "They are strands of volcanic glass that form when the wind blows over molten lava and carries some away. As the lava cools on the wind, the strands solidify into glass and tangle together like this, getting wrapped around anything that blocks their path. Because they resemble hair and are formed only during volcanic eruptions, they've come to be known as 'Pele's Hair,' since Tutu Pele is the goddess that the ancient Hawaiians believed to be responsible for all volcanic activity on the islands. But these shouldn't be here – not now, anyway."

"What do you mean?" Now Dean's interest was definitely piqued. Even though Sam was usually credited for being the brains of the two, scientific phenomena like this really did fascinate the older Winchester, especially if they might be connected to some kind of ancient lore.

"Most humans don't know this, but the presence of Pele's Hair is usually a sign that Tutu Pele herself has recently paid the island a visit. She really is a powerful goddess of fire, and she is the one who causes the volcanoes to erupt, which is what allows the islands to grow bigger and keeps the soil fertile."

"So the ancients knew what they were talking about, huh?"

"Yes. But there hasn't been an active volcano on Oahu, especially not near Honolulu, in over one hundred and fifty thousand years. So there shouldn't be any trace of volcanic glass like this, at least not on the surface of the soil."

"So, what? You think this Pele might actually be here now?"

Castiel nodded, looking around and smirking when he caught sight of the smattering of small, red-fruited bushes growing from the dark soil. They were known as ʻŌhelo ʻai, and believed to be the physical manifestation of the spirit of Pele's mortal sister, Ka'ōhelo. The sight of these plants alone was not enough to indicate anything suspicious, but when found beside strands of Pele's Hair despite the fact that there had been no volcanic activity to create it…

"She's here, Dean. I'm sure of it."

A soft rustling from behind them had Dean whirling around in preparation to attack, gun drawn from the waistband of his jeans before he even had time to think about what he was doing. The instant his eyes caught up with his muscles, though, he froze, completely unprepared for what he found.

Before the hunter and the ex-angel stood an otherworldly woman, with skin that varied in color from black to gray to orange to red just like volcanic rock. Her hair grew in long, flaming tendrils that flared and danced around her angular face, creating a sort of fiery halo around her head and shoulders. Her eyes shone red like burning coals, growing brighter and then dimmer with each breath she took as if they were being given strength by the movement of the air, and beneath the shell of her dark, stony skin they could see her veins glowing like channels of lava flowing beneath the ground.

"Hello Dean, Castiel," she said in a voice so deep and strong that it could be felt more than heard. "I was wondering when you two would find your way here."

"Yeah? And how the hell do you know who we are, lady?" Dean growled, stepping protectively in front of Castiel with his hand held tight on the grip of his gun.

"Dean!" Castiel gasped, horrified at his lover's blatant disregard for the power one of the oldest deities he had ever known. As a general rule, most every being with enough power to achieve godlike status expected reverence from all creatures lower than themselves, and despised having their names shortened or their titles omitted. Even Castiel had at initially resented having his name shortened to "Cas," although after a short time he'd come to recognize it as the term of endearment it was meant to be, rather than a lack of respect for his status as a high-ranking angel of the Lord.

But for Dean to have referred to the volcanic goddess Tutu Pele as nothing but "lady…" Well, suffice it to say the ex-angel was beginning to wish he had his grace back, because in spite of the fact that he had been acquainted with the goddess from the time of her creation, if she decided to flambé Dean alive for that transgression right now there was likely nothing Cas would be able to do to stop her.

To Castiel's immense relief, though, Pele threw back her head and laughed, her fiery hair flaring outward as the sound of her voice caused the earth to tremble beneath the two men's feet. "I like this mate of yours, Castiel. There is no fear in him."

"That's one way of putting it," Cas muttered with an exasperated sigh and sideways look at the other man.

Pele smirked at Dean, who was still confused and looked ready to shoot her at any moment, and continued, "Calm yourself, hunter, I mean you no harm. I merely wanted to lay eyes on the man destined to become the vessel for the archangel Michael – the man who was brave enough, or perhaps foolish enough, to stand up against Lucifer with only his brother and a fallen angel by his side and yet still manage to foil the archangels' plans to begin the End of Days. Gabriel – or Loki, as I used to call him – has told me all about you and Sam, and what the two of you have done for all of us, mortals and gods alike. He was the one who told me that you would be visiting so I could see you for myself. And now that I have, Dean Winchester, I would like to present you with a gift."

"I, uh… Thank you," Dean said quietly, still a little shell-shocked by all of this new information and trying to remember at least a couple of his manners so he didn't anger the goddess by mistake.

Pele nodded and smiled, reaching up to her head and grabbing hold of one of the long ropes of her hair. The instant she touched it, it cooled, turning hard and gray so that she could snap it off and hold it in her hand, and a new tendril of fire immediately sprouted from where the old one had been. Pele leaned forward and blew on the hardened lava in her hand, and Dean watched in fascination as it transformed from a long rope of rock into a brilliant orange crystal.

"Take this with you, Man of Letters," she said, chuckling at the surprise on Dean's face when he realized she knew about that, too. "Whoever has even a fragment of this on their person will be completely safe from the threat of heat and fire, whether natural or magical. Break it up into pieces and make it into talismans, sell it, or keep it on display – whatever you wish."

"Thank you," Dean said again, this time in awe as he realized what a powerful tool had just been given to him. Fire had been the cause of so much heartache and destruction in the Winchesters' lives already, and it been used as a weapon against Castiel more than once; it was an incredible and unbelievable feeling to know that now, however late in the game it might be, fire would never be able to hurt any of them again.

"You are very welcome, Dean Winchester. And I'm sorry that Sam was not able to come along with you this time; I would have liked to meet him as well. Give him my regards, will you?"

"Sure." Dean grinned. Man, Sammy was going to lose it when he realized he'd missed the chance to meet the actual goddess Pele.

"Castiel, it was nice to see you again," Pele continued with a short nod to the ex-angel. "And take care of this one, won't you?" she whispered, leaning toward his ear so that Dean couldn't hear them. "He obviously loves you if he was willing to stand between you and me without a second thought – foolish decision though that might have been."

"I will," Castiel answered with a soft smile. "I love him too, with everything that I am."

"Then I wish you well," the goddess answered with an air of finality. "Both of you. Oh, and Castiel? I've seen how happy you look whenever you are out in the sun with Dean, and it made me realize that you should try to smile more. It really suits you."

Then in the blink of an eye she was gone, leaving the two men to stare blankly at the spot where she had just been standing while they worked to process everything that had just happened.

"Uh… okay… Bye, then," Dean muttered, sighing as he realized that Castiel was evidently not the only supernatural being who enjoyed poofing out of existence for seemingly no reason at all. "Anyway, Cas," he continued after a moment, "you wanna go ahead and start back to the cabin? I know this crystal's supposed to protect us from fire, but I don't think that includes sunburn."

"Yes. That sounds like a good idea. Besides, I've been thinking about that leftover fish from yesterday for quite a while now, which leads me to believe I'm probably hungrier than I think I am."

Dean laughed. "Yeah, I'd say you're right. Come on, then. I'll fix you some when we get back."

The hunter turned around and started back down the hill, and Castiel made to follow him before suddenly stopping short, staring at Dean's back and stifling a snort of disbelieving amusement.

There, perched right in the middle of his lover's white-clad back, was a vibrant yellow Happy Face Spider, its head facing down toward the ground so that its bright red markings – two small parallel dots beneath a curved line that looked like a crescent moon – took on the shape of a grinning face.

"What's up, Cas?" Dean asked, and Castiel felt a little sad to see the spider fling itself off of Dean's back and onto a nearby leaf.

"It's nothing of import, Dean," he said with a chuckle, jogging forward so he could join hands with the hunter as they walked side-by-side. "Don't worry about it."

Dean shrugged and continued on, chalking the moment up to yet another part of Cas's mind that he would never understand.

And Castiel, for his part, made a mental note to never let it be said that the gods lacked a sense of humor.

* * *

**A/N: Wow, I ended up putting quite a bit more educational content in this chapter than I meant to! X)**

**For anyone who might be interested, here are a few things I learned about Oahu (and its neighbors) while trying to research them for this chapter:**

**1) The Hawaiian islands do not have many dangerous species of plants or animals. There are no snakes, and no poison ivy or poison oak. The most dangerous animals on the island (not counting ocean animals like sharks and jellyfish) are centipedes and scorpions, which are not deadly to humans but definitely hurt if you're stung.**

**2) Pele's Hair is a real phenomenon caused, as Castiel said, by molten lava being pulled into strands of glass by the wind. Unlike in this story, however, there is no scientific proof that it has anything to do with a volcanic goddess.**

**3) There really has not been an active volcano on the island of Oahu for over 150,000 years.**

**4) ʻŌhelo ʻai is a species of bush that can survive in the desolate, ash-covered environment that makes up the side of an active volcano. The plants produce red, orange, yellow, or pink berries which are safe for humans to eat and taste like cranberries, and it is believed that Pele's mortal sister, Ka'ōhelo, was turned into one of these plants when she died so that she might remain immortal in some way.**

**5) _Theridion grallator_, or the "Happyface Spider," is a species found only in the Hawaiian islands and is unique because every spider has a slightly different type of smile on its back. They are not venomous, but their bright colors make predators think they are and leave them alone. They're pretty adorable, actually - for spiders, at least. Google them - they're awesome!**


	6. Day 5 - Swimming

**Disclaimer: Supernatural and its characters are the property of Eric Kripke. Sadly, I do not own any of these guys.**

**A/N: Hi, everyone! Long time, no see! Once again, I apologize for the unacceptably long delay between updates. Between trying to update my latest multi-chapter Destiel story and some real-life health issues that have been bringing me down, I just haven't been able to get a chapter of this one finished in way too long. But finally, after almost five months, here is the next installment!**

**There will be only two more chapters after this one, which is kind of sad. :( But don't worry - to make up for the long delay between updates, I've made this chapter about three times as long as normal and jam-packed it with plenty of lovely Destiel fluff. I hope you enjoy, and please leave a review if you can find the time!**

* * *

When Dean awoke the next morning, he was pleasantly surprised to see that the sun had already risen high in the sky, shining brightly through the slats of the blinds and painting everything in the room with dizzying waves of light and shadow.

For most of his life the older Winchester had been an exceptionally early riser, always painfully aware that any time he spent asleep was time when he – and by association the people he had sworn to protect – would be the most vulnerable to attack. Because of this, he had spent most of his adult life running on only the minimum amount of sleep required to stay sharp and alert, catching the occasional power nap in the back of the Impala and chugging down enough coffee to drown a fish whenever the exhaustion began to catch up with him. And despite the fact that he had had a permanent home for almost two years now and was no longer in danger of being torn apart by monsters in the middle of the night, he still hadn't completely managed to break that lifelong habit.

He gave a jaw-popping yawn and allowed himself the luxury of waking up slowly, blinking the blurriness out of his eyes before turning over to give Cas – who had been a late riser since the day he became human and would probably sleep until noon if left to his own devices – a kiss good morning.

But to his surprise, Cas wasn't in bed.

A quick survey of the room revealed that he had probably left quite a while ago; the sheets on his side of the bed were completely cold, his blue cotton robe was missing from where he had hung it on the headboard the night before, and his house-shoes were no longer sitting beside the bathroom door.

With a sigh Dean hauled himself up, scratching the stubble on his chin and stretching before he slipped a thin T-shirt over his head and made to go out the door that led into the living room. Cas was most likely watching the news while he fixed himself some cereal or toast with honey – that was what he always did on the rare occasions when he was the first to wake up – and he was hopeful that Cas might not have finished eating yet so he could still join him at the table.

Just before he could turn the knob and find out for himself, though, the door swung open, revealing the man in question. For a moment Castiel looked surprised to see him standing there, but a second later he smiled and leaned forward to press his lips against Dean's, humming with happiness when the green-eyed man wrapped his arms around him and pulled him into a tight hug.

"Good morning, Dean," he said calmly, so relaxed he was practically boneless against Dean's side.

"Mornin' Cas. What're you doing outta bed so early? You usually sleep like the dead until at least ten."

Castiel chuckled at the irony of that phrase and shook his head. "Well, since you've gotten up early and stayed up late to cook every meal we've eaten during this trip, I thought today I might return the favor. I apologize for waiting until almost nine-thirty to come get you," he added as he began leading the way toward the kitchen/dining area. "I had intended to have our breakfast finished by eight, but it took an irritatingly long time to figure out how to find a suitable collection of recipes on The Google."

Dean chuckled quietly to himself but tactfully chose not to correct Castiel's use of the website name. "It's no problem, Cas. Whatever you made, I'm sure it's great."

Castiel actually looked nervous. "I hope so."

Dean took a seat at the little dining table while Cas plated up their food, mentally preparing himself for the fact that this breakfast might be an absolute disaster – after all, this was the same guy who tended to think that you could put anything you wanted into a sandwich together and it would still taste fine; it had taken all of Dean's willpower not to gag the last time he ate his way through two of Cas's "special" sandwiches made with bologna, cottage cheese, honey, orange slices with the peel still on, and pickles. But the ex-angel had really worked hard on this and seemed genuinely scared that Dean wouldn't like it, so he took a deep breath and resolved right then and there to at least praise him for the effort no matter what it might taste like.

Once Cas actually set their dishes down, though, it immediately became clear that there was nothing at all to worry about. Each plate was filled to the brim with scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, and even a couple of reheated pineapple pancakes from two mornings before. Everything was perfect, neither overcooked nor undercooked, and despite his love-hate (mostly hate) relationship with the spice rack at home, Cas had managed to add just the right amount of salt and pepper to the eggs to bring out their naturally rich flavor without overpowering it. By the time he had finished the first bite Dean was already completely sold.

"This is friggin' amazing, Cas!" he said with an exaggerated hum of pleasure. "Seriously, could you cook like this every morning? Because I'd have absolutely zero problem eating this for the rest of my life."

Castiel's lips parted in a toothy smile. "Thank you, Dean. I'm very happy you like it." He pulled the corner off of a piece of lightly buttered toast and slipped it almost daintily between his lips, chewing thoughtfully and washing it down with a small sip of orange juice before he spoke again. "Dean?"

"Mmm?" the hunter grunted, not able to say anything more coherent around the comical amount of bacon in his mouth.

"I know we didn't have any particular plans for today, and maybe you were just thinking of staying here or on the beach, but would it be alright if we went back to the marina and rented a boat again? I really enjoyed fishing when we went before, and the weather channel said there's supposed to be a storm rolling in this evening that will make swimming and sailing too dangerous tomorrow. And, um… maybe if we have extra time later… you could teach me how to swim?"

By the end of that question he was blushing, obviously still embarrassed about his complete inability to do anything but flail around uselessly in the water, and he ducked his head and refused to meet Dean's gaze as if waiting for some kind of jab or teasing remark.

Dean just reached down and took Castiel's hand, lifting it up between them so he could brush his lips over the knuckles before weaving their fingers together.

"That sounds like a great idea, Cas. What time do you want us to leave?"

* * *

"I think I've got another one, Dean!" Castiel shouted as the end of his fishing pole was yanked down toward the water.

"Already?" Dean asked incredulously. "It's been like ten minutes since the last one!"

They'd been out on the water since noon, and it was looking like the weather prediction for tomorrow had been accurate, because there were already several large gray clouds rolling in, blocking out the sun and bringing in a strong breeze that made the waves rougher than they had been two days ago. But in spite of the slightly unfavorable fishing conditions and the fact that it had only been two hours since they set out, Cas had already managed to reel in two red snappers, a goby, and two angelfish, releasing everything immediately after he caught it since they were planning to grill hamburgers and pineapple slices for dinner tonight instead of fish. Dean, on the other hand, had caught nothing but a piece of floating seaweed, and he was beginning to think Cas must still have a little bit of angel-juice left over that made all the fish flock to him – or that his own luck was just incredibly crappy.

"Almost… got it!" Castiel said excitedly, yanking his fishing rod out of the water to reveal yet another fat red snapper dangling off the end.

Dean just rolled his eyes and threw his hands up. "Alright, that's it, you have _got_ to be cheating."

Castiel tilted his head to one side, not understanding at all. "Cheating at what?"

"At fishing!" Dean exclaimed in mock-anger. "Come on, spill it. Did you use a special bait, or put some kind of fish repellant on my hook, or what?

"Nope," Castiel answered breezily, finally catching on to the joke. "You must just suck at this."

Dean let out a bark of surprised laughter, almost dropping his fishing pole into the water before he remembered to pull it back onto the deck and lay it down. "Wow, Cas," he said with a chuckle, ruffling the ex-angel's hair and earning a weak glare for it. "I really am a bad influence on you, huh?"

Castiel smirked at him. "The worst. A total assbutt."

"Yeah, just keep it up," Dean growled in mock-anger. "We'll see how much of an assbutt I am when I push you off the boat."

"You wouldn't dare," Castiel said with an amused snort, effectively ending the conversation as he turned his back to Dean and pulled the hook from the red snapper's lip, tossing it gently back into the water before casting the line out again.

They settled into a comfortable silence again after that, just enjoying each other's company as they sat back-to-back and waited for the occasional nibble on the end of one of their lines. At around three they ate a couple of sandwiches and some chips that Dean had packed for a late lunch, and Cas even had a beer from the cooler, which was pretty uncommon for him. By the time four o'clock rolled around neither of them had caught anything in over an hour and a half (Cas was the clear winner of the "Most Fish Award," with seven compared to Dean's two) so they decided to head back toward shore and call it a day.

Dean started up the boat and turned them back in the general direction of home – they were about thirty minutes away from the beach near the cabin because the fishing was better in deeper water – and Castiel settled back against the bench seat behind the captain's chair, closing his eyes and nodding off within five minutes as the feelings of the wind in his hair and the sea spray on his face soothed him into a light sleep. He looked so peaceful, all the tension gone from his features and his mouth hanging slightly open as he snored, that Dean decided to take them on a slightly longer path back to the cabin and explore the neighboring islands, content to watch his lover sleep for just a little while longer.

This turned out to be an unexpectedly good decision, because within another ten minutes Dean spotted what looked like a small island off in the distance, completely barren of any sign of human habitation. It wasn't anything fancy, just a sandy little islet with a tide pool maybe fifty feet in diameter at the center and some tall rock formations at one end, but it was exactly the kind of place he'd been hoping to find before beginning Cas's swimming lessons.

There was nothing wrong with the beach in front of their cabin, exactly, but the fact that there were always waves crashing against the beach – especially today – would make it harder for Cas to get his bearings and tire him out a lot more quickly than calm water would. Besides which, weather like this could create strong, invisible currents beneath the waves, and Dean shuddered at the thought of what might happen if Castiel managed to get swept up in one of those.

No, if he was going to teach Cas to swim, it needed to be in a quiet, secluded place like this where he was in no danger of being pulled away and drowned by a riptide or knocked into a cluster of rocks by a rogue wave.

With that in mind, Dean turned the bow of the boat toward the little island, drifting close enough that he knew he'd be able to stand up behind it and push it onto the sand before turning the engine off. Castiel stirred almost immediately, blinking quickly and looking around in confusion when he realized their cabin was nowhere in sight.

"Dean? Where are we? I thought we were going back home."

"We were," Dean answered with a shrug as he climbed over the side of the boat and began pushing it into water too shallow for it to drift away. "But then I saw this little island on the way and decided to stop here. You did say you wanted to learn how to swim, right?"

Castiel nodded in understanding, taking off his lifejacket and laying it across the bench seat before clambering down after Dean. Without a word he followed the hunter around the edge of the small tide pool and between the large rock formations, where Dean had spotted a low-ceilinged cave in the rock face just a little bit smaller than their bedroom at the bunker. They set their towels, phones, dry clothes, and the scuba masks Dean had rented just inside the lip of the cave, taking a few minutes to reapply their sunscreen and allow it to soak in before making their way over to the edge of the roughly circular pool of azure blue water.

Dean tested the temperature with one foot before wading out to a waist-high depth, turning around to wait for Cas to join him. The ex-angel walked forward and then hesitated, dipping his toe into the water as he had seen Dean do before backing up a half-step and looking at the five foot gap between them like it was five miles wide. His body shuddered from head to toe and he shook his head, backing up another step like the water was going to reach out and bite him.

"Dean, I… I don't think I can," he choked out, his gaze darting between Dean's face and the edge of the sand. "I'm sorry, I don't know why, but… I'm very afraid."

Dean wasn't fazed in the least, having expected a reaction like this after how badly Cas's first experience with water had turned out. Without a word he made his way back up to the sand, shaking some of the water off of his arms before wrapping one of them around Castiel's shoulders and pulling him into a gentle embrace.

"It's okay Cas, you've got nothing to apologize for. I know it's my fault the water freaks you out – and don't deny it, it's the truth," he cut in when the ex-angel opened his mouth to protest. "If you don't wanna learn to swim today that's okay, Sam and I can teach you some other time – he's an even better swimmer than I am, to be honest. But I promise you, you're one-hundred percent safe out here. This pool isn't very deep near the edge, which is where we'll be, and I'll be right next to you the entire time. I swear I won't let anything bad happen to you."

Castiel swallowed hard, still trembling ever so slightly as he looked out at the deep blue water, and then nodded and gave Dean's hand a squeeze. "Yes. I want to learn to swim. Will you teach me?"

"You betcha," Dean said with a proud grin as he took Castiel's hand in his. "Just follow me, okay? We'll take it slow."

"Okay," Castiel sighed, taking a deep, shaky breath before following the hunter out into the water.

* * *

Castiel had spent the better part of three hours in the shallow end of the tide pool, paying close attention to every piece of advice Dean had to offer about moving his body through the water under its own power. By the time he finally pulled himself onto the shore and plopped down on his beach towel to watch Dean continue splashing and diving and frolicking in the water, the sun had begun to creep closer to the horizon line, casting everything beneath it in shades of glittering gold.

The lesson had gone much better than Castiel had expected, which made him very happy. Dean was very patient, never rushing him or trying to trick him into swimming on his own by paddling away to a place where Cas couldn't reach him. After the first half-hour or so Castiel had gotten the basics of floating and dog-paddling, and over the next couple of hours Dean taught him how to do a basic front- and back-stroke, how to tread water for short periods of time when the water was more than head-high, and how to dive to the bottom of one of the deeper areas of the pool and kick his way back to the surface if he started to run out of air. He certainly wasn't going to win any awards for speed or form, but for the very first time since he had become human he finally felt like he could at least swim well enough to pull himself to shore if he ever found himself falling into a lake or river on a hunt, and that was more of a relief than he could have imagined.

With a contented sigh he lay back on his towel and spread his limbs like a starfish, letting the hot sun dry the droplets of water on his skin and basking in the warm glow that seemed to perfectly mirror the one he was feeling inside. These were the sorts of moments that made him question how he had ever thought of the Earth and the creatures who inhabited it, particularly humans, as anything less than exquisite. He had truly been been an arrogant fool back then, completely blind to the beauty of his Father's greatest creations, because nothing in his entire existence could compare with the peace he had found here on Earth, living as a human beside the nearly godlike man called Dean Win –

_SPLAT!_

Castiel shot upright with a gasp, his musings interrupted by the feeling of something wet and slimy landing on his exposed stomach. With a sense of revulsion he peeled the sticky, rancid-smelling piece of brownish seaweed off of his skin, tossing it onto the sand with a huff before fixing Dean with the fiercest glare he could muster. _"Maybe 'godlike' was the wrong choice of word,"_ he thought as Dean took one look at his face and began cackling like his anger was comical. _"'Hellish' seems more appropriate at the moment."_

"Hey, Cas, c'mere," the hunter called. When Cas didn't move to obey he frowned, seeming to realize he might actually have screwed up. "Cas?"

"I was deep in thought and trying to relax, Dean," Castiel said icily. "And that was an extremely unpleasant way of trying to get my attention."

"Aw, come on, Cas, I'm sorry. I didn't know you were over there meditating, I was just trying to mess with you a little. Please don't be mad."

Castiel sighed, still not completely mollified. "What did you need me for, Dean?"

Dean's expression brightened immediately, and he made a beckoning motion with his hand again. "I found something in this pool that I think you'll really like. Come check it out!"

The excitement on the hunter's face finally washed away the last trace of Castiel's annoyance, and he gave a small smile and began wading out into the water, swimming over to Dean's side once the water got too deep to stand. As soon as he got close enough Dean took his hand, giving him a smile so sincere that Cas knew whatever Dean was about to show him would truly be worth seeing.

"Hold your breath," Dean told him, and as soon as he had taken the biggest gulp of air he could the hunter dove under the surface, keeping hold of Castiel's hand and using his other hand to cover the angel's eyes as he guided them both to the bottom of the twenty-foot pool. It took them only a few seconds, and when Dean let go of his hand and uncovered his eyes Castiel nearly gasped in surprise before he remembered that he was underwater and that would not very end well.

Lying across the sandy floor of the tide pool, in a beautiful array of colors ranging from deep red to purple to mint green to orange, was a collection of conical seashells, bits of fresh green seaweed, and a few small starfish, all painstakingly arranged so that they spelled out the words _"Olani hoath ol, Castiel.__"_

Castiel could do nothing but stare at it in shock for several seconds, blinking rapidly as if the lovely words would disappear in an instant and his mouth hanging agape when they stayed exactly where they were, as brilliant as a neon sign, every single time.

When he finally had to kick back to the surface for air, he found Dean already there waiting for him, and before he could open his mouth to speak Castiel had leapt at him, wrapping his arms around Dean's neck as his parted lips sought out the hunter's in a desperate need to express exactly how strongly he shared the sentiment. Dean clutched him tight and returned the kiss with equal enthusiasm and Castiel wove his fingers through the sopping wet spikes of brown hair, pulling him close so he could lay their foreheads together and just breathe in the warm, comforting, slightly musky scent that had always been uniquely _Dean_.

"I love you, Cas," Dean said, gently kissing the thick, dark curls at the crown of Castiel's head. "I know I don't say that nearly often enough, but I do. I just wanted to make sure that if you don't remember anything else about this trip, you remember that."

Castiel huffed in feigned indignation. "I have never once forgotten that, Dean." And then with a tremble of overwhelming emotion in his voice, he leaned forward and whispered, _"__Od olani hoath ol, In Monons."_

* * *

**Translations:**

**Dean: _Olani hoath ol, Castiel = I love you, Castiel_**

**Castiel: _Od olani hoath ol = And I love you, My Heart_**

**A/N: All Enochian words were taken from internet databases and dictionaries. I am not (and will not claim to be) fluent in the Enochian language - because honestly, pretty as it is, it's just too freaking difficult to learn. XD**


End file.
